Aki stood at the edge of the
stove. She was stirring marinara for
the pasta. Steam was rising out of a
pot of boiling water; it rolled and dispersed as the kitchen bulbs poured their
bright light down.
I walked up behind her and slid my
arms around her waist. "You going to
eat the parsley tonight?" I asked
"Maybe"
"That's my girl. Just as indecisive as I am." She laughed; we
touched noses and kissed. I could taste
the tomatoes. "You naughty girl…please
tell me you at least tried to use a spoon this time."
She blushed. "Well…"
A small hissing noise caused us to
turn back towards the stove. Water was
boiling over the pot that contained our dinner. Both of us reached for the lid.
My hand caught hers and we shared a smile.
"I should get a napkin and clean
the water up" she said.
"Nonsense" I replied as I rested my
head on her shoulder. The skin of her
neck was hot. "You were so warm last night—I was so cold."
"So it was you who stuck those
freezing fingers on my back." It was my
turn to laugh.
"Aye, that twas me."
"You going to do it again tonight?"
she flirted
"Most definitely." She giggled and we kissed a second time.
The timer went off on the
refrigerator. Much to my
disappointment, I had to let her go and stop the shrill of the alarm. "Got the colander out?" I asked
"Already in the sink" was her
reply. She stepped back and away from
the stove and I made a grab for the pot.
"Wait—" But it was too late, I had
already touched the searing handles.
"Dammit, stupid pot!" I shouted and
flailed my reddening fingers around.
"You alright?" She looked concerned.
"I'll be OK, just get me the gloves
so I don't burn myself a second time."
She shook her head, opened a
drawer, and removed red and white-checkered gloves, which she then handed to
me.
I put on the colorful mittens and
successfully picked the pot off the burner.
Once at the sink, I removed the lid and poured its contents into the
colander. Huge plumes of steam mushroomed
out into the air. The boiling water
gurgled as it surged down the pipes.
"Better take the marinara to the
table, pasta will be about ready in thirty seconds." But Aki was already ahead of me—she had the sauce and spoon on
the table. She used a lighter to ignite
the thin red candles that stood in the center of the table. When she was done, she turned off the light
in the room. Orange lights from the
candle flames danced on the walls.
Someone turned on the stereo: Palestrina's "Kyrie Eleison" began to play.
"I'll get
the wine." I had chosen cabernet from
Sangiovese, which in itself was a small fortune, but tonight I wanted something
special. I took the steaming colander
back to the stove and poured the noodles back into the pot. "One more minute." I said as I recapped
it. I took the pasta to the table and
headed back towards the refrigerator.
The wine was still in the same place I had left it earlier that day: in
the side pocket at the end.
I brought out the bottle along with
two perfectly clear glasses and set them on the table. Aki took her favorite side and handed me the
corkscrew. I smiled and proceeded to
open the bottle. It opened with a pop
and I handed her the wine. Not that I
ever doubted it wouldn't, I wanted to make sure the bouquet was to her
liking. She nodded and gave it back to
me, for which I proceeded to fill the glasses, making ever so certain that I
twisted the bottle at half glass so I wouldn't loose a drop.
"You're plate please" I
beckoned. She handed me her dish and I
scooped out a portion of the noodles and then did the same for my own. I had already started to coat my noodles
with the marina when I remembered what I forgot. "Be right back, I need to get something. Dinner wouldn't be complete without it." I got up and headed back to the
refrigerator, when I returned I carried a circular glass jar with a silver
lid. It was filled with Parmesan cheese
that I had grated earlier that afternoon.
Aki laughed. "You and your cheese…"
"Certainly" I beamed back at her.
When I took
my seat across from her I finally got a good look at her. God she was beautiful. Her eyes caught the light from the orange
flames, lips so full and pretty. Her
hair did not have a single strand that was out of place. I truly had believed that I was the luckiest
man on the planet. Raising my glass, I
said "Cheers." The crystal made
a high-pitched clang as the glasses collided.
Half way through the meal, I leaned
back and just stared. She stopped
eating and looked back at me. There was
a tear running down my right cheek.
"What's wrong?" she asked
"Nothing…just this has been one of
the most wonderful nights I have ever had in my life." I sniffed.
She set down her silver fork and
caressed my hand. Her perfect smile
leapt onto that beautiful face. "I
know," she said. I could only smile
back.
That night I would never forget for
as long as I lived. She made sure of
it.
